List of senior employees leaving SARS grows: The list of experienced SARS employees who are leaving the institution appears to be continuing unabated, with the latest resignation coming from a senior manager in the criminal investigations of the tax and customs enforcement unit.

A very successful 2017 Gauteng Getaway Show, in association with Mahindra, was held at the TicketPro Dome in Johannesburg over the Heritage Day Weekend. Nearly 20 000 people were enthralled with the great mix of outdoor-, travel- and adventure-related products and activities on offer.

Here is a summary of the fun events of the weekend, to inspire you to put next year’s Cape Getaway Show or the Gauteng Getaway Show on your bucket list:

1.The sheer range of things to see and do can be overwhelming, but the crowds did not seem to struggle to find which activities suited them best, as there is something for everyone.

2. People found inspiration for their perfect holiday, and information about some of the fantastic destinations we have in Southern Africa. A few select international destinations featured, with Indonesian dancers giving visitors a taste for what is on offer in the Indonesian Islands.

3. Games, competitions and giveaways kept people of all ages on their toes, and children and adults alike enjoyed activities like the climbing wall, the mechanical bull and lazer shooting in the Adventure Zone, sponsored by Toyota.

4. There was also lots to learn, such as at the African Snake Bite Awareness stand, where up-close and personal encounters with snakes and scorpians explained the risks and gave tips about how to handle encounters with a wide range of creatures.

5. Also popular with children and adults alike was taking an exhilirating ride in the monster truck!

6. The Volley ball was a hit, both with spectators watching display matches and members of the public taking their turn to show their skills.

7. Plenty of live entertainment meant that people could relax and enjoy the atmosphere while building up their energy with tasty food and drink options, in order to start another round of walking about and finding more to do and see.

8. The very popular photography workshops were sold out, with top tips for wildlife and landscape photography being shared with enthusiasts.

9. Then there was the Getaway Braai Off, judged by Dirk & Alti from the TV show Vrydag4uur. Prizes were sponsored by Outdoor Warehouse, Charka and Food Lover’s Market, and the winner of the Potjie Competition, Graham Wallace, walked away with the big prize of a weekend break and game drive for eight people at Mabalingwe Nature Reserve, with second prize going to Andor Townsend. The Gourmet Boerie competition was won by Quentin van Zyl, with second and third prizes going to Allen Ridley and Brian Maxted.

10. Amongst many other prizes awarded over the weekend, the grand prize of accommodation for 5 nights at Ibo Island Lodge in Mozambique, was won by Linda van As.

So, mark your calendar for the 6-8 April 2018 for the Cape Getaway Show – the Gauteng Getaway Show dates are yet to be announced. Make sure you don’t miss out, as next year is set to be bigger and better yet again.

Labour Court grants interdict against unlawful conduct by 10111 employees: The Labour Court has granted an interdict to prevent striking workers at the South African Police Service (SAPS) 10111 call centre from intimidating and threatening non-striking employees. SAPS today brought the urgent application following reports of intimidation and threats made yesterday by South African Poling Union (SAPU) members against non-striking employees outside the Midrand call

Johannesburg, 25 July 2017 – The trade magazine Engineering News-Record recently published the 2017 Top 225 International Design Firms list. In this edition, SENER, with 97% of total revenue generated from international projects, ranked No. 32 worldwide. In the classification by region, SENER ranked No. 1 in Africa and No. 3 in Latin America. Furthermore, in the classification by sectors, It ranked No. 3 in Power.

ENR ranks the 225 largest world designs firms, both publicly- and privately- held, based on design-specific export revenue–generated from projects outside each firm’s respective home country.

Likewise, SENER was recognized in the ENR´s 2017 Top 150 Global Design Firms list climbing from 99 position in 2016 to 63position this edition.

SENER is a private engineering and technology group founded in 1956. It seeks to offer its clients the most advanced technological solutions and enjoys international recognition, thanks to its independence and its commitment to innovation and quality. SENER has a workforce of close to 2,500 professionals at its facilities in Algeria, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, China, Colombia, India, Mexico, Morocco, Poland, Portugal, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The group’s operating turnover exceeds €907 billion (2016 data).

SENER engages in the specific activities of Engineering and Construction. It also has industrial holdings in companies involved in Aeronautics, as well as in Energy and Environment. SENER’s Engineering and Construction division has become one of the world’s benchmark companies in the Aerospace, Infrastructure and Transport, Power, Oil & Gas, and Marine Engineering sectors.

Those job seekers with a command of far eastern and local indigenous languages have better salaries awaiting them if their work requires the language.

Adzuna in South Africa has completed research on which languages bring home the bacon best. Chinese/Mandarin, Japanese, Xhosa and Zulu topped the rankings, while Russian and various European languages made up the rest of the top 10.

According to the job aggregator website, being bilingual or knowing a foreign language is a top skill in not only finding a job, but also obtaining work visas when moving to other countries. Some countries also require a certain level of competence in their official language/s.

A spokesperson for Adzuna added: “Although many of these positions are for call-center or sales roles, it is interesting to note that South African languages, which were added into the mix researched, showed promising results.”

Strong demand for French, Portuguese and German was noted, with the top South African language required being Afrikaans. English was not included in the research results as it was deemed ubiquitous. The least required language measured was Finnish.

With a growing international presence and more BPO (business process outsourcing) companies entering South Africa, the demand and salaries for foreign language abilities is set to only move one way: up.

Language

Job demand

Average salary

Chinese/Mandarin

203

R335 863

Japanese

27

R335 625

Zulu

421

R332 714

Xhosa

142

R318 923

French

453

R304 378

Finnish

11

R301 236

Portuguese

294

R298 975

Dutch

72

R298 478

Russian

18

R280 531

Swedish

56

R279 872

German

563

R278 064

Norwegian

31

R271 734

Arabic

117

R264 667

Spanish

134

R255 674

Turkish

37

R231 047

Swahili

21

R198 000

Italian

127

R193 976

Afrikaans

4866

R176 992

Chinese tops list of best languages for job seekers by Jesse Green on 19 October 2016

Hillside Digital is about to launch its first citizen video journalist media center in Alexandra Township, north of Johannesburg, South Africa. We asked NGOs and local activists to recommend individuals they felt were honest, deserving and passionate about improving their community. We are choosing three women and three men to train up to be independent change makers and video journalists. The Hillside Digital Alexandra Community Production Unit will be the first unit of a global multi-media, emerging technologies and development organization dedicated to empowering the world’s poorest peoples. Here is a shortlist of the candidates.

Johannesburg – Just an hour's drive from Joburg are the Sterkfontein Caves, declared a World Heritage Site in the 1990s. I'd heard about the caves when reading up on our greatest archeological discoveries, but never actually had a chance to visit. It's …

A detailed view of Levi Stadium during an MLS Soccer game between the Seattle Sounders FC and San Jose Earthquates on August 2, 2014 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo: Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images).

A Durban tagged image from Flickr – click on the name of the photographer below the image to see more Durban goodness. Durban Girls’ College Image by St Mary’s Investec Hockey Festival 2014 St Mary’s Hockey Festival

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A Durban tagged image from Flickr – click on the name of the photographer below the image to see more Durban goodness. Durban Girls’ College Image by St Mary’s Investec Hockey Festival 2014 St Mary’s Hockey Festival

KZN Cricket congratulate Jones & Mokgakane on SA Under 19 selection: Durban – Two of KwaZulu-Natal’s most exciting young cricketers, Fraser Jones and Andile Mokgakane, have been selected for the South African Under 19 team to travel to New Zealand for the ICC Under 19 World Cup starting next month. The pair have both been […]

Servest joined hands with Steyn City Properties, Sponsors, South African Personalities, and the Community to Deliver Happiness to Diepsloot Learners.: One of the trucks Delivering Happiness to DiepslootR Johannesburg –12 December 2017: Servest joined the sixth annual, Steyn City ‘Delivering Happiness to Diepsloot’ campaign, to bring some festive cheer to school learners in Diepsloot. The […]

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Holiday Mania at Crocworld Conservation Centre: Crocworld Conservation Centre promises fantastic holiday fun for the thousands of visitors expected to flock to KwaZulu-Natal’s popular South Coast. “We are gearing up for a bumper festive season. With fantastic summer weather, beautiful beaches and Crocworld’s wide variety of birds, reptiles of holiday activities, visitors will undoubtedly have […]